Closure fastener and glass retainer



July 10, 1922; 1,677,074

i T. J. CORCORAN CLOSURE FASTENER AND GLASS RETAINER Filed Aug. 5, 1925 AK iofina' T Patented July 10, 1928.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:rnoms .I. oonconAN, or CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE Tires. .1. COBCORAN mun? oo., or CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION or OHIO.

CLOSURE FASTENER AND GLASS RETAINER.

Application filed August 3, 1925. Serial No. 47,748.

The invention I have described herein is intended particularly for use with lamps of the type used principally on automobiles, and relates to a device designed to obtain an improved fastened or closed relation of the lamp closure or door with relation to the body of the lamp, in which an object is to produce a fastener in which a yielding rela tion of the closure to the body is obtained with but a single and positive means of obtaining the closed relation of the elements against relative movement, vibration and the admission of moisture and dirt to the interior of the lamp.

A further object is to produce a closure fastener in which the parts are cheap, simple and easily applied to the closure and body of a lamp without previous preparation of such elements for my improved fastener.

A further object is to produce an improved fastener in which the closure rim and glass are held together as a unit when the closure is removed from the lamp body, thereby preventing inadvertent separation of the closure parts. I

These and other objects are attained in the construction described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the lamp equipped with my improved closure fastener.

Fig. 2 is a front view of my improved lamp showing in dotted lines, the position occupied by my improved fastener.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the fastener embodying my invention.

Fig. 4 is a somewhat enlarged perspective view of a detail of the body of a lamp adapted to receive my invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentalperspective view showing the assembled body, clo sure and fastener of a lamp such as disclosed in Fig. 1. v

The main feature of the fastener which will now be described, is the principal element 6 which consists of a U-shaped spring having a screw threaded aperture 7 at its centrally located position, with outwardly spreading and backturned ends 8 and 9 adapted to project forwardly, outwardly and backwardly parallel with the flange 10 of the body in osition to engage the inturned beaded e ges 11 of the closure rim.

To the outwardly turned portions 12 and 13 of the main spring 6 two somewhat arcuate semielliptic springs 14 and 15 are secured, as by rivets 16 and 17.

Now, in order that the fastener I have just described may function, the body has to be prepared for its use. This is accomplished by making a suitable aperture in the rear of the body for the reception of the fastener screw 18 and providing two notches 19 and 20 in the flange 10 at the front of the body to receive the outwardly extending portions 12 and 13 of the fastener.

The first step in the fastening operation is to slip the closure glass or lens 21 into position within the closure rim 22. Then the fastener is placed in position by pressing its springs 14 and 15 against the glass until the ends 8 and 9 of the main spring 6 may he slipped back of the lip created by the beaded edge 11 of the rim 22. Thus the fastener is held in this position by the springs 14 and 15, while at the same time these springs retain the glass 21 in place.

With this closure and fastener unit thus assembled, the closure is placed over the flange of the body. This movement brings the aperture 7 into registration with the rear aperture of the body so that the screw 18 may be placed in position. By now turning the screw the spring 6 is drawn rearwardly and it in turn draws the closure rim and the glass into closed position on the body. The purpose of the notches 19 and 20 in the body is to permit rearward move ment of the closure, but principally to afford locating means whereby the closure is prevented from rotating.

Fastener elements such as represented by the main spring 6 without its attached springs 14 and 15, have, in one form or another, been tricd out with but little success, but when the springs 14 and 15 are attached thereto the success of this desirable form of fastening is immediately assured. Two very objectionable features about the use of the spring 6 alone, are that its application to the body and the trouble encountered in trying to bring its'aperture 7 into register with the body aperture ready for the screw 18 is next to impossible, and, in addition to this the trouble encountered in having the closure glass falling out of the rim each time the closure is handled.

It must be borne in mind that I have but described one form of the invention, and that the separate formation of the springs 14 and 15 so that they have to be attached to spring 6 by rivets, need not be carried out strictly inasmuch as they may just as readily be formed integrally with spring (5.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

A closure fastener for an automobile lamp having an open ended body, a substantially cylindrical notched flange extending from and surrounding the open end of the body, a closure rim having a hooked rear edge adapted to fitover the flange at the open end of the body, and a glass adapted to occupy the rim, comprising a main member adapted to occupy the body in approximm tion of the interior shape. thereof and having two branches each one of which extends to and occupies one of the flange notches at the open end of the body and extends radially beyond it to engage the hooked edge of the rim, springs extending transversely of and attached to. the ends of the member adapted to engage the glass to retain it in position relatively to the rim and simultaneously therewith to retain the branches in engagement with the hooked rear edge of the rim, whereby the member is maintained yieldinglyattached relatively to the rim, glass and body when in position therewith. and means adapted exteriorly of the body to draw the member into and the glass and rim upon the body and into relatively fixed relation to each other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

THOMAS J. CORCORAN. 

